thought

http://blog.sensitiveskinmagazine.com/wp-content/audio/Ra-Sun_Berkeley-Lecture_1971.mp3

A friend of mine left me this mp3 of one of the only lectures recorded by Sun-Ra while he was an instructor at UC Berkeley! It's interesting to hear how some of the concepts he discussed are still relevant today! Ch-ch-check it out!

Ahu. A who?

One of those obscure songs i found somewhere that i can't remember. I have no idea about anything this song or singer have to offer except that the vocalist is Turkish. Hope you enjoy as much as i do.

Dream Hampton!

Interview with Dream Hampton (acclaimed writer) about Hip-Hop, Black women, abortion, surviving in the post-capitalist world, and a myriad of relevant topics. Good insightful talk!

Dumile Feni

Dumile Feni was a South Afrikan sculptor and printmaker that began his career as an artist while undergoing treatment for tuberculosis. Using a ballpoint pen and charcoal for many of his pieces (for both style and economic reasons), Feni's prints are defined by nervous but straight lines and monochromatic shading that depict scenes of hopelessness. Much of Feni's work was influenced by the cave paintings of the local Bushmen people near his native Worcester, South Africa.
Feni died in New York City in 1991 after leaving South Africa for a period of voluntary exile as an act of resistance against apartheid laws that were in place during that time.

Starring Stephanie McFarlane!

One of my best friends / family members Stephanie McFarlane makes her on-screen debut in this independent Black film! She graduated from the University of Southern California's School of Theatre in 2010. Stephanie has an attractive spirit that shows in her acting and is sure to be evident on screen in this film titled "For the Love of You". Unfortunately, I'm not in Atlanta to view it, but if you are, please check it out!

...young Black artistry at it's finest...take heed.

#saturdaynight

sweetgrass basketmaking / not all was lost

The Gullah tradition of making baskets along the Lowcountry region of the US (from which my dad's dad's family originates) has been alive for over 400 years on this side of the Atlantic. Each basket is made by hand by women and men who have been taught the unique technique by preceding generations. The distinguishing style of weaving using palmetto leaves, long pine needles, bulrush, and sweetgrass is identical to the techniques used by Fulani, Mende, and Mandinka peoples of modern day Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea (serving as a testament to the perseverance of African culture in the midst of slavery/attempted cultural genocide). Though these baskets are often prized for their beautiful artistry, they are still used as everyday household objects among many Gullah families, as they are in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.